This invention relates to the mixture of polymer emulsions with water, and more particularly, to a process for intimately admixing polymer emulsions and water to form highly viscous liquids.
In forming highly viscous liquids from polymer emulsions and water, it is important to mix the polymers with the water in such a manner that the viscosity of the final liquid product is as high as possible. It is generally believed that a water-polymer mixture becomes less viscous if the polymer chains are severed during the mixing process. Thus, it is believed to be advantageous to dissolve the polymer in the water without deleteriously affecting the polymer chains. Processes known in the prior art have been unable to produce, in a relatively short time, highly viscous liquids from the admixture of polymer emulsions and water. The present invention provides a suitable process in which polymer emulsions are admixed with water and highly viscous liquids are formed very quickly.